Two significant artworks in France will receive restoration funding this year through a partnership between the French Art Heritage Foundation (Sauvegarde de l'Art Français) and the Michelin Corporate Foundation. The selected works are a Flemish triptych depicting the Death of the Virgin in Cuisery and a photographic artwork titled "From the Depths of the Earth" at the Sanvignes town hall. Both pieces were chosen by employees at Michelin's Blanzy facility as part of France's largest museum initiative.
This marks the fourth consecutive year that workers at the tire manufacturing plant have participated in preserving regional cultural heritage. Previously, they supported the restoration of choir stalls at Saint-Sernin-du-Bois in 2021, revitalized a steam cylinder at Alloit in 2022, restored the organ at Saint-Vallier in 2023, and brought new life to the bust-reliquary of Saint-Firmin in 2024. As Maud from the French Art Heritage Foundation explains, "The world's largest museum is not the Louvre, but the territory itself."
The Flemish triptych "The Death of the Virgin" by master artist Grégoire Guérard sits in the peaceful choir of Notre-Dame de Cuisery church, where five centuries have dulled its colors and cracked its luminous surface. Marie-Béatrice Lacroix-Mfouara, mayor of Cuisery, revealed that the complete restoration project is estimated at 100,000 euros and will require several years to complete. "We need to rebuild the entire pictorial structure. The bidding process is currently underway," she explained. The 8,000-euro donation from Michelin represents a crucial first step in returning the artwork's original gold and azure touches.
In Sanvignes, the town hall suffered damage from an arson attack in June 2023, which left soot damage on Rajak Ghanian's monumental photograph "From the Depths of the Earth." This artwork, located on the staircase, chronicles the community's coal mining heritage and the underground depths that shaped the town's history. While the photograph survived the flames, it was marked by soot like skin blackened by memory. The town hall reopened to the public last September, and the second 8,000-euro donation will fund the artwork's restoration.
"After two dark years, I'm experiencing a happy year," said Jean-Claude Lagrange, the mayor of Sanvignes, with visible emotion. The parallel restoration efforts in both Cuisery and Sanvignes represent two gestures of renewal, two flames of renaissance. Through the commitment of Blanzy employees, art regains its breath and vitality.
The initiative demonstrates how industrial workers have transformed into custodians of memory, carefully tending to historical treasures that might otherwise be forgotten. Each restored piece, whether stone, frame, or photograph, carries the certainty that beauty remains accessible to those who continue to appreciate it. The partnership between corporate responsibility and cultural preservation ensures that France's artistic heritage will continue to inspire future generations.
